honor without envy
by PuzzledHats
Summary: When Barry Allen shows up, Oliver tries very hard to remember that it is better for him to be alone.


**Alright, this weeks episode has left me in an Olicity loop. Like it's all I can think about. Then the synopsis for episode 8 came out and I couldn't stop thinking about Oliver's legendary self control and how that will be put to the test when Barry shows up and well, this fic was born of that.** **Just a one shot, in my stupid attempt, to figure out Oliver's thought process when it comes to dealing with one Felicity Smoak.**

**Also, I apologize for ignoring the Flash side of things, I really wanted to incorporate it but realized as I was writing it that I don't know how the show is going to handle it. They haven't had superpowers on the show yet, how are they going to make him the Flash?! I don't know, so I ignored it :)**

* * *

The spreadsheet before him was important. Queen Consolidated was just starting to turn a profit again. He needed to review the information before him in order to make an informed decision in the boardroom.

Laughter drifted through the open door.

His eyes flitted over to the woman sitting at the desk on the other side of the glass wall. She was smiling, her hand on her neck while the other one pushed her glasses back into place. The man leaning against her desk had his back to him, but everything about the set of his shoulders told Oliver that the man was completely focused on the woman before him.

Not that Oliver could blame him, when Felicity's hand scratched down her neck like that, resting on her collarbone.

His jaw clenched as he refocused his attention to the screen before him. S.T.A.R. Labs had finally opened their long anticipated Starling City branch, specializing in particle accelerators. Isabel Rochev thought it was the perfect investment opportunity for Queen Consolidated, something the spreadsheet before him confirmed. But Felicity had made him watch enough about the controversy over the work the lab was doing to know the potentially cataclysmic environmental side effects turning on the device could cause. If S.T.A.R. was successful, Queen Consolidated would triple its quarterly earnings; but at a potentially huge cost to the environment.

Another laugh sounded in his ears, once again drawing his attention away from the business before him.

Felicity was leaning back in her office chair looking up at the man in front of her, her eyebrows raised in amusement. She must have been speaking about something she cared about, the telltale half smile giving her away. The man before her let out a bark of laughter when she finished speaking, reaching out a hand to rest on her shoulder while his low voice responded.

Oliver stilled, his only movement the clenching of his fist, his eyes narrowed in on where another man's hand rested on Felicity's shoulder. Then he closed his eyes, centering his mind to the task at hand: whether or not Queen Consolidated should invest in a risky but potentially lucrative company.

He stood, walking across the room with purpose.

"Yes, but you have to admit the latest upgrade was a bit of a joke," Felicity said, her tone light, joking. She didn't notice his entrance.

Oliver cleared his throat before the man could respond. Both of them turned as one to look at him.

"Sorry to interrupt," Oliver said, keeping his Oliver Queen smile intact as he watched the man before him take a step away from the desk. "I hope Ms. Smoak has been helpful in your investigation, Mr. Allen."

"Yes," Barry Allen said, glancing at Felicity. "Very helpful. Her knowledge has been quite useful."

Felicity blushed, a smile forming on her face as she focused on her desk.

"Glad to hear it," Oliver said jovially, thinking he might have gone too far when Felicity's face shot up to look at him in question. He caught her eye, forcing her to stare back. "I'm just finishing up with these reports. I won't be needing you any further. Feel free to leave early."

"Umm," Felicity hummed, looking around at her various computer screens clearly calculating things left on her to-do-list, obviously surprised by his offer. Oliver should have seen that coming, in the couple of months that she had been his executive assistant he couldn't remember ever telling her to leave early. She looked back up at him, confusion in her voice, "You sure you don't want me to finish running the background check—"

"No," he said, cutting her off. "I think I have all I need. Have a good night."

Her eyebrows drew together in confusion, obviously ready to call him out on his blatant lie, but Barry spoke up, silencing whatever argument she had prepared.

"If you're off early, maybe we could go grab something to eat?" Barry asked hopefully. "Being new in town means I don't know where to get the best burgers."

Oliver thought it was most likely one of the worst pick-up lines in the history of pick-up lines, but Felicity only giggled; leaving Oliver to question whether he had ever heard Felicity giggle before.

"That sounds great," she said, standing. "I know just the place."

The smile that spread over Barry's face was almost blinding in its glee. Oliver felt his hand tighten into a fist, forcing himself to smile as Barry nodded a good-bye on his way to the elevators, leaving him alone with Felicity as she powered down her computers.

"You sure you don't need me?" Felicity asked as she stepped around her desk, pulling her coat on.

He smiled down at her, his mouth tight, trying to keep his thoughts from tumbling into dangerous paths, "I'll be fine."

She stared at him, then nodded slightly, a look he couldn't decipher in her eyes as she walked away, throwing a "Thanks" over her shoulder.

He turned, unable to watch her leave. Walking back to his desk, setting down so he could once again review the information displayed on his screen. He stared, and stared, and stared before finally sighing. Leaning back in his chair he closed his eyes, breathing deep.

An image of Felicity looking up at Barry Allen while he ran his fingers through her hair, assaulted Oliver's mind. He saw the man slowly lower his head until they met in a slow kiss.

Oliver sat up, shaking his head. He turned off his computer, grabbing his phone to send a text to Thea canceling their dinner plans. Next he sent a text to Diggle, explaining that he decided to play the part of Oliver Queen, planning on spending the night at Verdant. He had a reputation to maintain. 

* * *

Oliver spun low, reversing at the last second, his left arm hit the back of Diggle's knee, his right arm shooting out to trip when he stumbled. Diggle crashed against the mat with a grunt, pushing up instantly, ready to try again.

Felicity's ringtone caused them all to freeze.

Felicity recovered first, walking toward her bank of computers in search of the phone. Oliver held out a hand to help Diggle stand before moving to grab a water bottle, keeping his eyes on Felicity the entire time.

When she looked down at the phone her entire demeanor changed in an instant. She went from tense, worried and stressed; to relaxed and smiling. She glance up at the men before her.

"Personal," she said as way of an explanation, before swiping her thumb over the phone to answer it, turning her back on them and walking away as she greeted the caller. "Hi."

Her voice was an octave higher than Oliver was used to, almost breathy in its joy at whoever she was speaking to. She laughed at whatever the caller's response had been, walking toward the stairs, obviously not wanting to have the conversation in front of them.

"I had a really good time too," he heard her giggle as she ascended the steps into Verdant.

Oliver thought this might be the perfect time to double check Thea's skills at stocking a bar. Having wondered for a while if he could count on her to have the various kinds of whiskey the club's clientele would prefer, a hand on his shoulder stopping him. He hadn't even realized he had moved.

"Oliver," came Diggle's resigned voice from behind him. "Do not go up there."

"Why?" Oliver said turning, trying to keep his facial expression confused. "I was just going to check up on Thea's bookkeeping."

"Thea's bookkeeping?" Diggle asked, disbelief dripping from his tone. "Oliver, for a man with so many secrets, you are a horrible liar."

"I just-"

"You just want to know what is going on with Felicity and Barry," Diggle cut him off, assessing the situation far too quickly for Oliver's taste. "Why don't you just talk to her?"

Oliver ignored him, turning to walk back to the training mats.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Diggle spoke from behind him. "I know you think you're doing the right thing. I know you think she'll be happier this way."

Oliver turned when Diggle paused, watched as his friend marshaled his thoughts. The look Diggle gave Oliver was one Oliver had seen many times from him. It was the look he gave Oliver when he was convinced Oliver's noble intentions were getting in the way of something more important. Suddenly knowing what Diggle was going to say, Oliver spoke.

"I said from day one that we would protect her," Oliver said, standing straighter, squaring his shoulders, needing Diggle to see his mind was made up. "And I intend to uphold that."

Diggle stared back at him, his lips slightly pursed in thought. But whatever he saw must have silenced any rebuttals, because he shrugged moving back to the mat and falling into the defensive stance.

"It's your life, Oliver. I just hope you don't miss out on living it. 

* * *

Oliver knew the board member before him was making a very good point about the potential environmental damage the proton accelerator could evoke, knew that the information she was relaying was important to any decisions that might be made that day. But he didn't hear a word the woman said.

Felicity had a hickey.

Right there on her collarbone, only visible from his angle at the head of the conference table where he could see just under the edge of her dress as she typed away furiously. It wasn't a large hickey and Oliver tried to reason with himself that it wasn't necessarily a hickey. Maybe she dropped something on her chest, like a tablet or a phone and that had caused the bruise.

"Do you have any further questions, Mr. Queen?" The board member whose name Oliver couldn't remember asked.

"Uh, no," he said, hoping it sounded authoritative and informed. He guessed by Isabel's eyebrow raise at the other end of the table that he had failed. Brushing it off he glanced around the full conference room. "Anyone have anything else to add?"

A weasel looking man Oliver suspected was in Isabel's pocket stood up. He had an entire presentation with charts, outlining every dollar Queen Consolidated would make if they invested in the company. Oliver thought he made some very interesting points, wondering if maybe he should rethink his tactic, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Felicity scratch the back of her neck, causing her hair to part revealing pale bruised skin.

There was no denying it. That was a hickey. Larger than the one on her collarbone; this one was placed at the base of her neck where her spine disappeared into the neckline of her dress, right where someone bending her over a desk might place their mouth.

Oliver slammed his hand down on the table.

Everyone in the room turned to look at him, freezing. The weasel looking man who had been talking let out a shout. Oliver forced himself to breathe, to calm down, keeping his eyes focused on Isabel at the other end of the table.

"I think it's time for a vote, don't you?" He said, keeping his smile fixed.

"If you've heard enough," Isabel said with a predatory smile.

Half an hour later, Oliver stormed into his office with Felicity on his heels.

"Why would you force the vote so early?" She asked angrily. "You knew the board needed time to see the problems with the company. You didn't even give the speech I prepared for you."

He turned to her, clenching his fists and breathing out his nose, "I knew none of it would do any good. Weasel guy-"

"Weasel guy?"

"The guy that looks like a weasel, who was talking about profit margins," Oliver explained, annoyed by the interruption.

"Oh," Felicity said in recognition, "Lewis, you mean Lewis."

"Whatever his name is," Oliver ground out before continuing. "His presentation was too good. Nothing I said was going to change their mind. At least with Queen Consolidated working with the S.T.A.R. Labs we can make sure the particle accelerator never gets turned on."

"I hope you're right," she said, turning to leave.

"Hey," he said, stopping her. She turned to look at him, eyebrows raised in question. "I was thinking about patrolling the Glades tonight. See if any more left over Vertigo is still on the streets. Will you be at the foundry?"

Her gaze turned even more questioning, because she was always at the foundry when he was on patrol only leaving when he was done. He fidgeted under her assessing stare.

"I only ask because I know you've been spending a lot of time with Barry," he forced himself to say. "If you wanted to take the night off, have a normal evening…"

He trailed off, watching as she blushed, her hand moving up to her collarbone where he knew a hickey lay. He breathed deep, making himself sit behind the desk adopting a very forced casual air.

"No," she said, staring at his shoulder. "Barry went back to Central City this morning, so I'm free."

He nodded once, pretending to be very interested in the computer screen before him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her hesitate before leaving. He forced himself to focus on the task before him. She came in sometime later, leaning over his shoulder to place a contract before him.

His brain betrayed him, an image of Oliver kissing his way down the back of Felicity's neck as their bodies slowly bent over the desk. His hand moving around her stomach to pull her ass against him, while his other hand pushed up her skirt. Her hand reaching back to push through his hair, pulling him to the side until their lips met, moaning.

"Oliver!"

He reeled back, looking up into Felicity's alarmed face.

"Sorry," he said, trying to clear his head. "Just thinking about the deal."

"You've been kind of out of it all day," Felicity said, her voice filling with concern. "Are you sick? I don't think you should patrol tonight."

Her hand reached out to feel his forehead but he waved it off before she could touch him.

"I'm fine," he said, trying to explain with his eyes. "But I think you're right. We could all use a night off."

"A night off?" Diggle questioned from the door. "I didn't know, you knew, those existed."

Oliver rolled his eyes at him, ignoring him in favor of reviewing the contract Felicity had left before him. 

* * *

She had given Barry his own special text tone. It was a high ding that was so different from the low tone text alert she used for everyone else. Oliver began to loathe the sound, looking up every time he heard it to find her smiling down at the phone in her hand.

They texted so frequently that Oliver considered banning mobile phones from the office and the foundry. But just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore he would catch a glimpse of her face as she replied.

Felicity was happy. Barry Allen made her happy. Barry Allen didn't put her life in danger on a regular basis. Barry Allen made her smile more than he made her worry.

So he gritted his teeth and ignored the sound that only filled him with dread. 

* * *

Over the years Oliver had bought his fair share of flowers and he knew the dozen red roses before him were the cheap 'I-ordered-these-online-because-I-had-a-coupon' variety. The very sight of them offended him, but Felicity couldn't stop staring at them, a smile gracing her face every time.

"Special occasion?" Oliver asked, keeping a smile locked on his face.

"Uh no, just because," Felicity said smiling, giving a tiny shrug, "he thought of me."

Oliver thought it far more likely that Barry had received some sort of 50% off email promotion that had prompted the display.

"Nice," he said, turning to stalk into his office. But it wasn't nice. Felicity deserved the best flowers money could buy. Huge bouquets of wild flowers that would cause her entire desk area to smell like spring; not the cliched smell of red roses that took no thought when ordering.

He was never more relieved than when she took them home that evening, telling him that she would drop them back at her place and meet him at the foundry. 

* * *

He was glad Sara was in town when the break-up happened. Oliver thought Felicity was taking it rather well, Diggle explaining that she had been the one to initiate it. Sara had declared a girl's night out complete with wigs, mini-skirts and heavy amounts of make-up was the only way to really get over a break-up. Felicity had reluctantly agreed.

Oliver tried to ignore the laughing girls behind him, silently happy to hear Sara laugh at all as they put the finishing touches on their looks. Instead he focused on the screen before him, where Felicity had set up a surveillance feed of the surrounding areas in an attempt to catch whoever was stealing cars from people visiting Verdant.

"Hey," Felicity said from behind him. "You don't have to monitor that all night. I have the facial recognition scan on. If a car is stolen tonight it will automatically track the face and send the footage to the police."

He turned, almost not recognizing the woman before him. She wore a dark brunette wig, thick eyeliner and the shortest skirt he had ever seen her in. He shook his head to clear his thoughts before answering, "Thank you. Have fun tonight."

"Thanks," she said with a smile, Sara pulling on her hand, up the the thriving club above them.

When he heard the door click behind him, he immediately turned back to the screen, clicking to switch the feed. Soon all the monitors before him showed different views inside Verdant. Thankful that he had put in the High Def cameras, Oliver had no trouble keeping track of them. He watched as they danced, got hit on and drank. They both were laughing more than he had ever seen either of them.

He switched the feed back to the surrounding areas when he heard the door click open behind him in the early morning hours, turning in his chair to see the two girls supporting each other as they descended.

"So I cut off his balls," Sara was laughing, Felicity was also laughing while also looking fascinated, her wig slightly off kilter. "And I fed them to his dog."

Oliver was unable to contain his smile as both girls burst into laughter; as if they didn't put their lives on the line everyday, as if they were just two friends with nothing left to worry about but which shade of lipstick to wear. He was happy for both of them.

A high ding sounded, causing the smile to slip from Oliver's face as Felicity pulled out her phone. He let out a sigh when she didn't smile at what she saw; instead she snorted as she put the phone back in her pocket without replying.

"That's my girl, never go back," Sara was saying, as another phone began to ring. Eventually Sara remembered pulling a phone from inside her bra, causing both girls to collapse into laughter again.

Felicity separated from Sara as she answered the phone pushing her wig back into place, spotting Oliver for the first time.

"You're still here," she said brightly, smiling. She might not be drunk, but she was clearly a little tipsy.

"My ride's here," Sara called from behind them, drawing their attention. She pointed to Oliver, "You take care of my girl."

"Always," Oliver said, trying to suppress a smile.

Sara turned her outstretched hand to point at Felicity, "And you! Don't you ever forget you deserve better than that guy."

Oliver thought he heard Felicity mutter, "I couldn't agree more," as they watched Sara leave.

"Come on," Oliver said, grabbing her purse and jacket, handing them to her. "I'll take you home. Where are your keys?"

"I can take a cab," Felicity began to protest, but stopped when she saw Oliver's determined stance, handing over her keys with a bemused expression on her face.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and Barry," Oliver said, as they drove through the nearly deserted streets of Starling City. When she didn't respond he glanced over at her, she was giving him one of her best soul piercing stares.

"We really need to work on your lying ability, Mr. Queen," she snorted next to him. He ignored her, just as he always did when she hit a little too close to the truth.

She knew better than to protest when he got out of the car to walk her inside. As she searched for her keys, he couldn't resist reaching up to gently pull the wig from her head, carefully finding the hair pins holding it in place. She froze as he worked, only turning when he finished, leaning her shoulders against the closed door.

"I thought you preferred brunettes," she said, looking up into his eyes as he leaned in, blocking her in by placing his hands on the door behind her.

"I prefer you," he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "Just as you are."

She gulped, her eyes focused on his lips, whispering, "Good to know."

"Sara's right," he said, allowing his thumb to graze her cheek, "You deserve better."

That got her attention, her eyes moving to meet his, "I know."

He leaned in even further, could feel her breasts against his chest as his mouth reached her ear. She shivered a little as he drew in breath to speak, his voice dropping low, "You deserve someone who will leave hickeys in less conspicuous places."

She gasped, from what he said or the fact that he had briefly nipped at her earlobe before moving to kiss the skin of her neck beneath it, he couldn't be sure. One of her hands moved to his chest, clenching the fabric of his shirt. He leaned back then, smiling at her confounded face.

"Good night, Felicity," he said, turning to leave. He had made it two steps, before he turned back around seeing her in the exact same spot, watching him. "And if you're free tomorrow night, I would love to take you out for dinner."

"Dinner?" She repeated, clearly trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"Dinner, as in a date," he said, not even trying to hide his smile now.

"A date? What about—" She asked, that seemed to have brought her out of her stupor because she stood up, her whole body alert. But then her attitude changed again, she slumped a little, turning to unlock the door before turning to look at him again. "I have no interest in being another notch on your bed post, Oliver."

He was by her side before she could get the door open all the way, turning her around pushing her against the door jam. He put both of his hands on her neck, using his thumbs to encourage her to look at him.

"Felicity," he said, anxiety coursing through his body. He had to make her see, couldn't lose her. "You are many things. You are intelligent. You are loyal. You are kind. You are beautiful. You are the only woman in my life who knows me, all of me and accepts me anyway. Felicity Smoak, you are many things, but a notch on a bed post isn't one of them."

She looked up at him in wide eye wonder, "But what about—"

"When I said that," he cut her off, needing to explain, "I'd forgotten one of the most important lessons I learned on the island, which is life is short. And it only took seeing you with another man to get me to realize how stupid I had been."

She smiled up at him and he knew her well enough to know that she believed him, understood. Not for the first time since he met her, he silently thanked every deity he had ever heard of for allowing her to be in his life.

"So," he said, smiling down at her, "Will you let me take you out to dinner tomorrow night?"

"I think that can be arranged," she laughed as he leaned into kiss her.


End file.
